Robbers Arrested During Argument Over Sharing Of Loot

Three members of a robbery gang allegedly terrorising communities in the Agbado area of Ogun State have been arrested by the police.

It was learnt that the suspects - Tope Oyeleye, aka Elede; Abiola Yekini and Yusuf Olohuntoba, aka Ete - were arrested on Monday by policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of Agbado Police Division.

However, other members of the gang, identified as J.J, Absorber, Sule and Ramoni, are still at large.

Punch Metro gathered that the miscreants, led by Elede and Ramoni, had robbed some houses in Owonikoko and Ayinla areas around 2am on Monday, stealing money and phones, among other household items. They were said to have converged on a street in Ayinla to share their loot when an argument ensued among them over the sharing formular.

A resident on the street reportedly put a distressed call across to the police, who mobilised to the area and arrested three of them.

Items recovered from them include 16 phones, one DVD player, two cut-to-size guns with a live cartridge, two spanners, a burglar proof cutter, among others.

Twenty-one-year old Elede, who hails from Ekiti State, confessed to the crime, adding that he had been into robbery for three years. He said he joined the group after six members of his former seven-man gang were killed by a police team, who went after them for killing a banker and robbing him of N7m sometime this year.

He said, "I was initially selling cannabis, but I joined a robbery gang three years ago when I was not making enough money from the drug.

We were seven in number bearing Oyenusi; I am Oyenusi 07. We robbed a banker of N7m early this year around RAFCO, Agbado. We killed him because he confronted us. I got N650,000 in that operation. The six others have been killed.

"We were six in the Monday night operation. I was given four phones and a sum of N2,000 as my share. There was an argument between Ramon, Sule, J.J, Absorber and I over the sharing formula. We were on it when the policemen came. Ete was not involved but he is my friend."

Yekini, a 28-year-old indigene of Ibadan, said he took to robbery to raise money to pay the rent for the shop, where he worked as a barber.

He said, "I was introduced to the gang by a friend called Anu when I told him I needed N24,000 to pay my shop rent. I tried in vain to borrow the money from my neighbours.

"This is my first operation and my role was to stay outside to watch for other members robbing residents. I collected the four phones and N500 they gave me without arguing with them. I really regret what I did."

Ete, who is a cobbler, said he was not culpable of the offence, adding that he was just a friend of Elede. However, the police said his fate would be determined after the investigation.

The Ogun State Police spokesperson, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the arrest. He said the suspects would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, for further investigation.

He said, "A distress call was received that some robbers were terrorising residents of the Ayinla area and Anti-Robbery men swiftly moved and cordoned off the area. Three of them were arrested while others fled. The suspects will be transferred to SCID and charged to court after investigation."